Archive for Monday, September 3, 2007
State, union leaders to wage battle on pay rates
Despite having lowest minimum in U.S., Kansas economy thrives
September 3, 2007
Advertisement
"State of Labor"
Kansas Secretary of Labor Jim Garner talks about the state's labor situation and the Kansas minimum wage.
Topeka — The state's top labor official is singing the praises of the Kansas economy but says the state minimum wage - the lowest in the nation - is too small.
"The state minimum wage is embarrassingly low," Secretary of Labor Jim Garner said.
The state minimum wage is $2.65 per hour, by far the lowest of the 45 states that have a state minimum wage, and 55 percent lower than the federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour.
The state minimum wage affects about 19,000 workers, mostly in service or agricultural jobs, who aren't covered by the federal minimum wage law, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Bill Wood, agriculture agent for K-State Research and Extension in Douglas County, said that he'd be surprised if any agricultural workers in the area were making below the federal minimum wage. But he doesn't disparage farmers for paying less, if they can find young people willing to do an honest day's work as they learn the business.
Farmers can hire 14-year-olds, he said, noting that he was among those in such a labor pool back in 1971 as a freshman at Atwood High School. Then, Wood's hourly pay for milking cows, painting sheds and mowing grass was 85 cents an hour, and it allowed him to save up for his first motorcycle.
"Like my dad told me at that time: If you're making 10 cents an hour, that's better than sitting on your rear watching TV for free," Wood said. "It doesn't hurt to work for low pay for experience; some day you become a good worker, and you work your way up the ladder."
Some Kansas lawmakers have been working to boost the state's minimum wage, but legislation introduced during the past several legislative sessions has been blocked by business groups.
Wil Leiker, a lobbyist for the Kansas AFL-CIO, said pro-worker groups would resume their push to boost the state minimum wage when the Legislature meets in January.
"We have to keep trying," Leiker said. "If you are one of the 19,000 who draw that wage, it's pretty significant."
Meanwhile, Garner, during his annual "State of Labor" address last week, focused on the expanding Kansas economy.
"The good news is that Kansas has a growing and diverse economy, with increased job opportunities," he said.
State unemployment last year was 4.5 percent, just below the national rate of 4.6 percent.
Kansas added 20,500 jobs, the largest job growth since 1998, Garner said.
Kansas is experiencing an increase in good-paying manufacturing jobs - mostly in the aviation sector - while the United States has suffered a decline in manufacturing, he said.
But while wages have increased, so has Kansas' poverty rate. Garner said the state needed to increase efforts to lure and train skilled workers.
- Staff writer Scott Rothschild can be reached at (785) 354-4222. Business editor Mark Fagan can be reached at 832-7188
More like this
- Advocates seek increase in state minimum wage 7 comments / February 19, 2008
- Bill proposes increasing minimum wage in state 21 comments / February 20, 2008
- Group demands living wage December 1, 2000
- Kansas House rejects minimum wage increase 40 comments / February 21, 2007
- Lawmakers asked to increase state's minimum wage 29 comments / February 10, 2009
Top ads RSS
- Factory Outlet $1800/Mo. Starting Pay Its the holidays and we ...
- YOUTH MINISTER Full-time Youth Minister. Emmanuel UMC - Abilene, KS. ...
- Now Hiring Experienced Sales People $9/hour + commission + bonus ...
- Dance Coach Kansas Athletics, Inc. Responsible for 10 - 20 ...
- Full Time Police Officer The Tonganoxie Police Department is accepting ...
- Muslims troops deserve support November 12, 2009 · 20 comments
- Blame game erupts over probe of Fort Hood suspect November 11, 2009 · 14 comments
- County endorses CritiTech proposal November 12, 2009 · 4 comments
- Independent counsel behind Bill Clinton investigation will speak at KU November 11, 2009 · 34 comments
- Blog: What's Your Stripper Name? November 12, 2009 · 5 comments
- Mormons throw support behind gay-rights cause November 12, 2009 · 3 comments
- Losing streak ‘hurts’ Jayhawks November 12, 2009 · 4 comments
- Jihadist threat underplayed November 11, 2009 · 56 comments
- Blog: Dillons, Hyvee, And Checkers — I'Ve Shopped And Compared. See The Results. November 8, 2009 · 225 comments
- Attorney for man who says he shot George Tiller won't present 'necessity' defense November 10, 2009 · 77 comments
- A month later, Aberdeen residents still waiting to enter their burned apartments November 11, 2009
- Sunflower School educator chosen as Lawrence Master Teacher November 11, 2009
- Kansas conservation activist Jan Garton dies at 59 November 11, 2009
- Recipe for change: Film battles policies of industrial food giants November 11, 2009
- High School Dropouts, by Morgan Mills November 8, 2009
- Phoenix prep signs with KU November 11, 2009
- Free State’s Caron signs with K-State November 12, 2009
- Douglas County ceremony honors America's veterans November 11, 2009
- LHS students offer teens’ view on dropout problem November 8, 2009
- Gorillas’ Iba floored by Jayhawks November 11, 2009
3 September 2007
at 8:23 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
PeteJayhawk (Anonymous) says…
Silly liberals.
Don't they know the only thing that the government should regulate is morality?
(Just thought I'd lob that one right over the plate. Flame away…)
3 September 2007
at 8:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Martin_D_15 (Anonymous) says…
let the illegals work at minimum wage and the rest of us Citizens can make the top dollars.
3 September 2007
at 8:51 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
ASBESTOS (Anonymous) says…
The minimum wage will not increase if we continue to allow the level of illegal aliens into the state. The wages and the laws mean nothing if you are not going to stop employers from hiring ilelgally. WHat, do you think an employer that will hire an illegal alien is going to give them minimum wage? That's a hoot!
It is funny that those that support minimum wage increase also support illegal aliens and illegal immigration. That is an incoherent view of the world, economics, hell everything!
3 September 2007
at 9:30 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
Martin_D_15 (Anonymous) says…
it was a joke mr. asbestos. we need to send all illegals back to wherever they came from.
3 September 2007
at 9:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
livingstone (Anonymous) says…
Not sure if anyone knows that minimum wage conflicts the concepts of free markets. If we so support democracy and markets, then, we should allow wages to float according to markets and let markets decide what the minimum wage should be.
Asbestos, not sure if you know what you're talking about. Illegal workers are only taking jobs in areas where there aren't many Americans and Permanent Residents competing for. If you take a trip to Dodge City, KS, you will get to see a lot of them. Ask yourself, would you want to work in those slaughter house if I pay you $15/hour with benefits but you really have to move to Dodge City, KS and live beside the slaughter house? Well, true, there are some illegal workers that flow to other jobs that Americans desire. No one wants to show you statistics on those.
Jobs that are using illegal workers include: (1) Those located in cities where Americans find undesirable to stay, (2) Jobs that are highly undesirable and have not much of a future (like fruit pickers), (3) Jobs that require frequent relocation (construction). However, I also know that there are many illegals taking jobs from many desirable works. Many state governments are trying to remove these workers, such works include factories and jobs located in the city. Immigration reforms should take care of the jobs that really need workers to do the hard labor and are non-desirable. Do you know why America remains one of the most competitive countries in the world? Strong work ethics. Why? Thanks to the competition from Illegal aliens. Why, you ask me? I've given an example quite sometime before. When I was living in San Diego, one American charged me $300 for my grinder and ended up doing the job badly…. I gave up on him after he visited me three times and I called another company who sent me a guy, most likely an illegal… guess what? He completely repaired my grinder in 30 minutes and only charged $50! I have plenty of experiences to tell you why Americans lose these jobs to illegals… where have our work ethics gone? Well, out of the windows! Remember we were used to accepting immigrants, in the past, from Europe… and competition kept Americans worked really hard to stay competitive. But laws are redefined, as no one can walk up the shore in New York and get their status immediately…. so illegal immigration begins.
It's more about politics than economics at the end of the day.
3 September 2007
at 9:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
ahayden3 (Anonymous) says…
Kansas' minimum wage is irrelevant. Every employer in the state of Kansas has to adhere to the federal level anyways, so any action by the legislature would be 100% symbolic.
3 September 2007
at 11:03 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
mick (Anonymous) says…
It is the Kansas Chamber of Commerce that is behind the failure to raise the minimum wage. Petty greed is a despicable thing. The Kansas minimum wage applies to businesses which do not engage in interstate commerce.
3 September 2007
at 11:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
sunshine_noise (Anonymous) says…
Well it's about time someone noticed. I've been complaining about this for the past 4 years. It's ridiculous and YES Kansas lawmakers you should be embarrassed and ashamed of yourselves - but you're not. Why? because you and your families have not been affected by this low wage.
As for 'sending' aliens back…. PEOPLE get a clue - this is the United States of America “built on the blood, sweat and tears of so called 'aliens'” Yes people from other countries wanting to live in a different govermental rule. You can't much blame them. If we closed our country to every person wanting to immigrate then we change this Nation into a New World and a not so friendly one at that. There are alot of things I don't agree with in immigration laws such as allowing immigrants access to our Soc. Sec. savings and allowing them extended leeway on welfare plans. Afterall they came to this country to work not to freeload. I think the amount of immigrants let into this country should be curtailed until things improve here, but then again I'm not an economist and not in the situation where I can forecast how more or less immigration will affect or help our economy. But I do know that this country began on immigration, built on it. Our fore-fathers, relatives and such have fought and died in foreign wars to protect some of these people. To say send them back and close our country would be to destroy who we are. If it wasn't for immigration most of you would not be here in this country today. Afterall how many of you can say your -great-great-grandparents or great-grandparents much less grandparents were born in this country? About the only one's I can think of are the American Indians. So before you become so cynical about immigrants think about that. We could open our hearts and lives and be a bit kinder to them. You'd be surprised how much you can learn and be rewarded with by being friendlier to others of a differenct culture. So that's my lesson for today.
3 September 2007
at 2:52 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
livingstone (Anonymous) says…
Why illegal alien is a problem? It is, because United States need to control the flow of immigrants and not allowing free flow to happen. Better control of immigration will lead to better policy planning (but many policies are already in a mess).
Why immigration is important? Immigration has led to the development of the American culture, believe it or not. The early influx of immigrants from Europe, thankfully for the exploitation and lack of opportunities in Europe, led new immigrants to define their way of lives here in the United States. (But concurrently, immigration from elsewhere were blocked out, that led to the culture that are mostly defined as European). Surprisingly, European Union should thank the United States for its inception. I cannot imagine Europeans living side by side together if the United States have not proven that it is possible. Not forgetting that immigration to the United States was just as simple as boarding a ship from Europe and walking up the shore in New York (only if you were European). Surprisingly, back in the 1920s, Europeans walking on shore were legal, but Mexicans walking into the country were not. It's only in the 60s when immigration in the United States allow non-Europeans to flow in easily. Well, the immigration wave from Europe has stopped as it gets richer, but the wave now starts from Asia, Latin America and Africa. There are more culture shocks than ever.
Why do I want to repeat history? Simple. It's the history that shapes the illegal immigration debate today. And it even shapes the legal immigration debate! Whether one is a racist or not, you will be associated with a racist when you speak against immigration, because immigration policies in the past were all racist in the past (Mexicans, Chinese, Asians were mostly banned from immigration), and had attracted more attention in recent years simply because the colors of many immigrants are different and their cultures are very very different.
One really have to pay attention to the past and why there are still so many people telling you that illegal immigrants should allow to stay here. That is the reason why the government kept silence for so many years, we silently need these illegals for many jobs and they used to think that these illegals will never occupy the jobs of the legals and citizens. Well, if we aren't living beside a poorer country, things might have been better. We can definitely tolerate 2 million illegals but not 10 millions and above.
Again and again, immigrants shape America and make it great.
3 September 2007
at 8:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
jayhawks71 (Anonymous) says…
If Kansas is going to raise the minimum wage to that of the Federal Minimum Wage or less, then Kansans should demand that they not raise it. The result of raising it will cost more in bureaucracy and enforcement when the Fed would already be in the business of enforcement. Kansas should actually abolish any state minimum wage law. It would actually benefit everyone who pays taxes.
From another, more theoretical (and less pragmatic) perspective… What right does the government to tell me what my services are worth? If I want to sweep your parking lot every day for 3 or 4 bucks, and it takes me an hour each day, then let me do it. If I think my time is worth more, then I won't do the job. If someone else wants to do it, then he or she gets the pay. If no one wants to do it, no one does it and perhaps the deal gets sweetened by the property owner.
I understand the intent of minimum wage laws, but are socialist, not democratic. They are the antithesis of a free market and a free society, but I guess the latter was lost when the government decided to crush freedom in the name of security.
3 September 2007
at 9:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
Permalink
livingstone (Anonymous) says…
devildog,
If we all take a rest on this issue, it will never be resolved. The flow of illegal immigration needs to be controlled but at the same time, the jobs of held by the illegals must find good replacement before they are sent back. If not, the whole economy will be affected. Just last week, I visited my uncle on his farm near the border. He openly tells everyone that he employs illegals to pick his fruits. Why? No one wants to do that job. Guess what when they raided one of the factories near his town? All the illegals didn't show up for work for one month. Guess what? All his crops for that month were gone. Now, it's almost impossible to tell anyone to buy a machine that will automatically pick the fruits for him. His option? Why not move to Mexico and then ship their fruits into the United States? Then, people will argue about the budget deficit. There are some politicians that said about the existence of the H2B program. Guess what? My uncle tried to apply before, but you know what's the quota? How long it will take? Long… very very long. What's the solution for him? Illegal workers who worked for the season and then go back during the period when the farm doesn't need them. How many workers he really need? 150. Not easy to get Americans to work by the way even if he's willing to pay $15/hr.